Russians in Germany

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 triggered mass immigration to the West, with Germany being the top destination, mostly for economic and ethnic reasons.

According to the Global Commission on International Migration research, "In the 1990s ethnic Germans and Jews comprised the largest components of emigration, and the most attractive destinations were Germany, Israel and the United States.

[8] The 1950s saw a rise in the numbers of people with German ancestry applying to emigrate to Germany under the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev.

According to historian John Glad, by 1957, over 100,000 applications a year to migrate to West Germany were being filed by petitioners, commonly known as "Aussiedler" (singular and plural) or transferred settlers.

"[14] Growth began to diminish in 2005 when the German government replaced the special quota immigration law (Kontingentsflüchtlingsgesetz) with more restrictive rules (Zuwanderungsgesetz).

German authorities have been concerned that the high number of Russian immigrants self-segregating in certain neighborhoods hinders social integration.

[19] A 2006 study by the German Youth Institute revealed that Russian-Germans face high levels of prejudice and intolerance in Germany, ranging from low job opportunities, to problems in the real estate market.

[20] A 2020 survey found that Aussiedler generally feel more belonging to Germany, their state and even city than their country of origin.